Arizona's Proposition 123, the vital funding mechanism for K-12 education originating from the State Land Trust, is ticking closer to its expiration date in July 2025. The proposition, which voters narrowly passed in 2016, is now at risk of discontinuation following a legislative session marked by failed negotiations and a pronounced lack of bipartisanship. According to ABC15, supporters of the proposition are concerned for the future of education funding in the state.
Lawmakers have scrambled, quite unsuccessfully, to extend Prop. 123's lifespan. Despite the bipartisan agreement on the need for renewal, the devil, as always, proved to be in the details. Efforts to continue the increased funding have now been left to potentially be decided by a new Legislature next year. Republicans initially moved to renew the proposition with a plan focused on teachers' salaries, while Governor Katie Hobbs and Democratic legislators countered with a broader approach, intending to extend salary increases to all school staff, as reported by Az Capitol Times.
The existing legislation crafted from these competing visions has, so far, stalled in the political machinery. While Republican proposals cleared committee hurdles, none succeeded in moving beyond that stage due to a lack of unanimous support within the party and steadfast opposition from Democrats and educational groups. Chris Kotterman, the director of government relations for the Arizona School Boards Association, told Az Capitol Times, "No one was really behind the effort enough to push it across the finish line and send it to voters."
Among those expressing disappointment in the legislative process was Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia. She criticized the lack of stakeholder input and transparency in the formation of the new legislation. "When we asked … where is this money coming from? Did you work with multiple stakeholders? Do you have different groups at the table?" Garcia said. "None of that happened. Good policy should be able to withstand people who are critical of it," she told Az Capitol Times. With timing pressing and the July 1, 2025, deadline looming, the lack of consensus raises the possibilities of a special election to resolve the impasse.
The original aim of Prop. 123 was to resolve a lawsuit brought by school districts against the state for not keeping funding up with inflation. It significantly raised the distribution rate from the state land trust to schools. With the funding cliff edge now in sight, and with the proposal's initial bipartisan and industry support as a reminder, those invested in the future of Arizona's education system are calling for a return to inclusive collaboration to secure a workable solution, acknowledging the need to, as Kotterman put it, "strike while the iron is hot. It’s on people’s minds."
